SC announces opinion on Zulfikar Ali Bhutto reference case

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Wednesday announced its reserved opinion on the presidential reference against the ‘controversial’ death sentence awarded to Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, saying that the former prime minister Bhutto did not get a chance to a “fair trial”, ARY News reported.

Headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa, a nine-member larger bench of the Supreme Court (SC) on Monday reserved its verdict in a long-pending presidential reference, seeking to revisit the 1979 ‘controversial’ death sentence awarded to former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.

The bench was also comprising Justice Sardar Tariq Masood, Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, Justice Yahya Afridi, Justice Amin Ud Din Khan, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhel, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, Justice Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi, and Justice Musarrat Hilali.

“Zulfikar Ali Bhutto did not get a fair trial and due process enshrined in Articles 4 and 9 of the Constitution,” said CJP Isa while announcing the short order.

A detailed opinion will be issued later by the SC, said CJP. The proceedings were broadcast live on the Supreme Court’s website.

In the last hearing, CJP Justice Qazi Faez Isa had observed that the court would announce a short order on the reference in a couple of days after consultation.

Previously, former chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, had conducted five hearings on the presidential reference — whose last hearing was held on November 11, 2012.

Former President Asif Ali Zardari had approached the Supreme Court in 2011 through a Presidential Reference under Article 186 of the Constitution, seeking to revisiting the trial of the PPP Founder Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto.

Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was handed a death sentence during former military ruler General (retired) Ziaul Haq’s regime.

The first elected prime minister of the country was charged with the murder of a political rival Nawab Mohammed Ahmed Qasuri and a trial took place.

Amid petitions and appeals of clemency, and mercy from several Heads of States, Bhutto was hanged on April 4, 1979.